SDG&E: Power conservation important

Presented by SDG&E

Summer came early this year with San Diegans beating the heat as early as May. As the weather heats up, energy use typically rises because of increased air conditioning use. While adequate electricity supplies are available to meet regional energy needs, conservation will still be vital, especially because this summer’s temperatures are forecasted to be higher than average.

The California Independent System Operator (ISO), responsible for managing the bulk of the state’s power grid, recently issued its 2014 Summer Assessment, which predicts an adequate supply of electricity for meeting peak summer conditions across the state despite well below average hydroelectric supply because of the drought. However, conditions may change at any time due to unexpected situations, including wildfires or loss of generating resources. While it appears adequate resources are available, San Diegans should be prepared to conserve energy if called upon to do so.

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“Providing safe and reliable energy is a top priority at SDG&E and is a responsibility that we take very seriously,” said Steven D. Davis, SDG&E’s president and chief operating officer. “SDG&E is prepared to meet this summer’s energy demand but we expect that there will be days when we will need help from customers through conservation and demand response. We appreciate all efforts by our customers so far this year to help keep the electric system running smoothly during the recent wildfires.”

Maintaining reliability

San Diego Gas & Electric’s (SDG&E) projected peak demand for this summer is 4,800 megawatts (MW), though it could reach 5,300 MW in unusually hot conditions. To maintain reliability during these summer loads, SDG&E has taken proactive steps to mitigate risks and keep the lights on for customers:

• SDG&E has built a stronger local grid over the past year with several major transmission system enhancements, including a new transmission substation in eastern San Diego County and several transmission equipment upgrade projects

These actions will make the system more dependable in the event that San Diego experiences a major heat wave this summer. However, conservation is still extremely important and customers will once again play a key role in reducing energy usage. When requested on peak days, SDG&E expects that energy conservation by customers will yield nearly 80 MW of energy reduction when it’s needed most.

Saving energy

There are a number of steps customers can take to save energy this summer. For the past two years, SDG&E residential customers have been able to earn a bill credit for saving energy on specific days through Reduce Your Use Rewards. Reduce Your Use days may be called during heat waves when energy demand is high. This year, customers must sign up to receive Reduce Your Use email, text or all-new voice alerts in order to participate and receive a bill credit. Visit sdge.com/reduceuse for information on how to sign up for alerts. Energy saving results will be available approximately three days after an event in “My Account” at sdge.com.